Flight
by DefyingSantaFe
Summary: Emily Prentiss didn't break down in public for just anything.


Emily left her apartment in flurry. She barely even remembered to lock the door. She ran down the stairs, choosing to ignore the elevator – knowing she could run faster. All she had with her was her computer bag and her go-bag, one of the habits from her former BAU days finally paying off. She jumped over the railing at the bottom of the stairs, changed direction and all but sprinted to her car in the underground parking structure.

As she pulled out into the early morning traffic her mind drifted. She was going back to D.C for the first time in a year.

* * *

><p>She taught A.P. Psych at a Chicago High School, her life of chasing criminals behind her. Working that fast paced life was incredible and she missed it, but she didn't regret the job change either. She loved her students. She also coached the track team to a victory in her first year at the school, so her training didn't go to waste.<p>

Emily had returned from Paris to a BAU accepting her with semi-open arms- but, as the novelty of her return wore off, the emotions of the team couldn't be ignored. So Emily made another hard choice. She loved her team, and she wouldn't change the events of Boston for anything. She went to Hotch first, telling her Unit Chief of her decision to leave the FBI completely. He was concerned but understanding. Hotch let her address the team herself, she didn't want anyone else to take the fall for her this time.

She watched the faces of her family as she told them of her intentions to leave. Reid was the first to react, attempting to storm out of the room. She stopped him and looked him straight in the eyes. This wasn't her abandoning him and he had to know that. She was leaving because she knew the team wasn't ready to have her working with them again. Not now, maybe not ever. They would all be watching her, afraid of her actions. No matter how much they denied that they would, she was right.

Garcia, always the beacon of hope, made Emily promise to keep in touch, wherever she went. Emily kept that promise, still in almost daily e-mail contact with the techie. She also exchanged handwritten letters to Reid weekly. Phone dates with JJ, the occasional e-mail to Rossi; she made sure to remain in contact with her created family. Hotch would send his regards via the others, always busy with work or his son.

The only member she didn't remain in contact with was Derek. He never really spoke to her once she returned, except about the cases they worked. Even then she could hear it in his voice, the anger, the fear and the hurt. She did her best not to think about it, ignoring it was easier than the heartbreak. The team also made an effort not to bring him up. She was thankful for that.

* * *

><p>Emily pulled into daily parking at O'hare. She wasn't sure how long she'd be in D.C, but at this point she didn't care. She rushed into the building and ran up to a clerk.<p>

"I need to book a seat on the next flight to D.C, anything will do. I just need to be on that flight," Emily spoke quickly to the startled woman.

"Alright, Ma'am, I'll see what I can do…" she trailed off typing on her computer.

Emily chewed on her thumb nail and observed the woman, Katy- her name tag informed.

Katy looked up from the screen, "Ok, there are some seats open on the 7:15 flight to Reagan National."

"Yes! That's perfect. Any seat, really." Emily urged.

Katy could clearly sense the importance of expediency and rang Emily up as fast as she could.

"Thank you!" Emily called over her shoulder as she made her way to security.

* * *

><p>She made it to the gate with barely a minute to spare and found her way to her seat. The plane was small, but anything was alright with her at this point. Emily froze momentarily as she spotted her row. She took a steadying breath to compose herself.<p>

Derek Morgan was sitting in her row. Right on the end, there was no way to ignore that fact. She approached the row and cleared her throat softly.

Looking up from the SkyMall, Derek looked shocked, mouth falling open slightly.

"That's my seat," Emily gestured to the window seat, voice soft- almost timid.

Derek gathered himself and stood, allowing her to pass. She quickly put her go-bag in the overhead compartment and took her computer bag with her. This was fine, she assured herself as she settled in. The flight isn't that long. It's not like you are required to talk to the person next to you on a plane.

Not even right next to her, she observed- silently hoping that a passenger would come to fill that void between them. She didn't get her wish and the plane pulled away from the building.

Emily's mind drifted again, to the reason she was going to D.C; Derek Morgan was no longer an issue as the plane took off.

When they were at altitude she pulled out her laptop, needing to check her e-mail. She drummed her fingers impatiently as she waited for her Mac to start-up. She prayed silently to herself that there would be no e-mail. Nothing new has occurred. Nothing else was going wrong. Her computer made that all-too familiar e-mail sound, and she groaned inwardly.

"Be Garcia, Be spam, Be a coupon," she chanted under her breath.

She clicked on her new e-mail to be greeted with another quick note from her mother's assistant, "Blood pressure dropped drastically durin-"- Emily slammed her computer shut and put her face in her hands, trying and failing to keep the tears at bay.

She pulled her hands from her face a couple of minutes later. She kept looking forward; she didn't want to look around to see if the other passengers had noticed. It was better if she just remained in her bubble.

* * *

><p>An hour and a half, a glass of red wine to calm her nerves, a few more unintentional bursts of tears and one more e-mail later they landed at Reagan National. She fidgeted in her seat until they pulled up to the gate. Emily couldn't help but get a bit of tunnel vision at this point, she just wanted off the airplane. Why was everyone moving so slowly?<p>

Emily made it through the airport in what she'd imagine was record time. She turned to the rental desk to see long lines. She made a soft dejected sound; she'd have to go to the other end to get to the taxis. She was making a beeline for the escalator when she heard her name being called.

"What?" she snapped before correcting herself, "I mean yes?"

Derek gave her a searching look and before he had a chance to say a word she stopped him desperately, "I don't have time to have this conversation now Derek; Can it wait?"

"I was going to offer you a ride to wherever you're going, I have my car here and you're clearly in a hurry. You can sort out transportation later."

Emily looked at him uncertainly, "You don't have to…"

"It's alright, I'm not expected anywhere. It's not a problem really."

She nodded, and to her horror her eyes were welling up again. He led the way to his car and threw their things in the back. As she settled in her seat he spoke again, "Where am I taking you?"

Her voice cracked with fear, "Bethesda…hospital."

He didn't speak another word. It was about half-an hour into the drive when her phone went off. She wasted no time picking up, "What do you know?"

She listened intently to her mother's assistant, tears beginning to creep down her face again. She hung up and let out a rattling breath. She jumped slightly when Derek put his hand on her arm- driving one handed, but she didn't shy away. She let a fresh wave of tears fall.

Her voice broke the silence, thick with emotion, "Thank you. I've been sitting next to you for a couple of hours crying and it must have taken some feat of effort to not ask."

"You don't have to tell me anything, Emily."

"My mom collapsed at an event in Spain," She revealed, voice low, "The doctors over there stabilized her, and she insisted upon being brought home."

She took his hand, the one that was on her arm, and clasped it- drawing strength from him, "On the flight over she kept having complications. Her people didn't think she should travel but she's stubborn. Now they've landed and she's being taken by helicopter to the hospital."

He squeezed her hand but said nothing as she dissolved into tears again, "I don't know what I'd do without her around. I know I've had problems with her, but we're past that. She's all I have."

Derek glanced over at Emily before focusing back to the road. She had turned towards the window, attempting to stop the tears from falling more. The second he saw her standing above him on that plane he wanted to reach out to her. He wanted to tell her how sorry he was for how he had acted. Once she reacted so strongly to what she had seen on her computer, all he wanted to do was move one seat over and hold her. To tell her that everything would be alright. He wanted to protect her from whatever was causing her pain. Emily Prentiss didn't just fall to pieces, let alone in public, for anything. So he resorted to small things like asking the flight attendant if he could pay for her wine. He would be lying if he said that he hadn't trailed her in the airport, just to make sure she got where she needed to go. It was a risk to offer a ride, but he was glad she accepted. And even more glad that he could be a rock for her now.

"If she's anything like you, she'll pull through. I can't believe you are the only one in your family with strong blood," Derek finally offered her words of comfort. The only proof that she heard him was a small squeeze on his hand.

The rest of the drive lasted in silence. He parked at the hospital and she made no move to get out of the car. He wasn't about to rush her, so he sat with her, still holding her hand.

"She will be so angry if her heart takes her out," Her words broke the silence.

Derek turned towards Emily with a look of confusion furrowed across his brow.

She looked over at him from the corner of her eye and gave him a watery smile, "She always said that if she had to go, then she'd want to be assassinated."

She laughed softly, Derek smiled along with her, "I could go in with you, if you'd like?"

"No," she sighed, looking toward the hospital, "I need to go in by myself."

He brought one of her hands to his chest and rubbed the knuckles, "I'm here if you need me. Day or night."

Emily nodded, "Derek?"

"We're okay."

She smiled softly in his direction, "Thank you."

* * *

><p><em>I wrote this because I have something to tell my faithful readers and wanted to give a little something for your time. Alright, I know I've said that <strong>Familiar<strong> and **Albatross** would be updated (and they will be, I just wont give any guarantees timing-wise right now) before I wrote anything new. My life has been shattering a bit, losing my maternal grandfather, godfather and paternal grandmother in the span of 6 months. I haven't had the mood to write, it's coming back- but as you can tell it's a bit sad. Writing is my love, Morgan/Prentiss makes me happy and I'm getting my wings back slowly. Thank you for waiting around._


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